Sheet feeding apparatus



June 20, 1944. R. F. HALL SHEET FEEDING APPARATUS Filed Feb. 3, 1941 3 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR fio u fia/rk Had BY v ATTRNEY June 20, 1944. R. F. HALL 2,351,854

SHEET FEEDING APPARATUS Filed Feb. 5, l 9 41 5 Sheets-Sheet Q4 INVENTOR ATTOI'RNEY June 20, 1944. H L 2,351,854

SHEET FEEDING APPARATUS Filed Feb. 3, 1941 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 lNVENTOR llllllllllIlllIIIIIllIllllllllllllllllhlll ATTZDRNEY Patented June 20, 1944 UNIT D STATES PATENT OFFICE 2.351354 snaa'r moms arrana'rvs Roy Frank Hall, Kansas City, Mo., assignor to Benjamin A. Babb. Kansas City, Mo.

Application February a, 1941, Serial No. 377,090

10 Claims.

which matured into Patent No. 2,289,011, dated July 7, 1942, for Sheet feeding apparatus.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a positively operating feed for sheets from a subsequently discharge the sheets and deposit them in a stack without handling thereof bythe operator.

Other objects of the invention are to provide a feeding mechanism that is adapted for ready attachment to a conventional typewriter .or like machine; to provide a feeding mechanism that is readily adjustable to sheets of any size within the capacity of the typewriter platen; to provide a positive follow-up pressure on the stack of sheets being fed into the machine; to provide manual means for releasing the follow-up pressure and retaining the pressure bar in retracted position when making adjustment of the feeding apparatus to the size of the sheets; to provide an adjustable incremental feed of the sheets; and to provide a simple, inexpensive construction which may be manufactured and sold at low cost.

In accomplishing these and other objects of the invention, as hereinafter pointed out, I have provided improved details of structure, the preferred form of which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a sheet feeding apparatus applied to a typewriter, the typewriter being shown in dotted lines.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the sheet feeding ap-.

paratus.

Fig. 3 is a cross-section through the platen carriage of the typewriter and the feeding apparatus carried thereby.

Fig. 4 is an elevational view oi the gears connecting the platen roller with the feed roller.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the sheet guide and hold-down plate used in connection with the feeding apparatus. when applied to one make of typewriter.

Fig. 6 is'a fragmentary view of the stripper plate and latch mechanism therefor, showing the latch in position to retain the stripper plate in spaced relation with the feed roller.

Fig. 7 is a detail perspective view of the sheet feeding apparatus, parts being shown in disassembled spaced relation to better illustrate their construction.

Fig. 8 is a detail elevational view of the sheet feed actuating mechanism.

Fig. 9 is a detail perspective view of the parts of the actuating mechanism shown in disassembled spaced relation.

Referring more in detail to the drawings:

I designates a conventional form of typewriter,

10 including a carriage .2 shiftable to position the stack into a typewriter in successive order and to impression of type 3 on a sheet carried by the platen roller 4 forming a part of the carriage. The type 3 is moved to and from printing contact by manipulation of keys 5, which also effect shift of the carriage from the right to the left as the writing progresses.

The carriage includes a frame havingiend members 8 and l in which the platen shaft 8 is journalled. The ends of the platen shaft project through the frame and carry knobs 9 at the ends .thereof by which the platen may be selectively rotated to feed sheets into the typewriter. In the present instance, one of the knobs is removed and replaced by a gear, later described. The carriage also includes a paper rest I0 for guiding a sheet between the platen roller 4 and a substantially arcuate guide plate II in cooperation with pressing rollers I2 and I3, when the pressing rollers are released. Extending along the front of the platen is a bar I4 for carrying various parts of the typewriter which relate to guiding and positioning of the sheets therein.

The typewriter parts above described are conventional and specifically form no part of the present invention, but are illustrated in that they are associated with the sheet feeding apparatus l5, now to be described.

The sheet feeding apparatus includes a main frame It, preferably formed of sheet metal and provided with end plate portions "-10, having and a sheet metal divider member, providing downwardly diverging plate portions 2| and 22 connected by a rounded ridge portion 23. The lower edge of the plate portion 2| terminates at the lower edge of the end plates in a laterally extending flange or ledge 24 adapted to overlie the platen roller and form a support for the typewritten sheets, as shown in Fig. 3. The lower edge 25 of the other plate 22 terminates short of the forward edge 28 in forming a throat-like 56 opening 21.

" fastening devices, such as screws 33.

The bottom plate 23 may be formed integrally with the end plates, or maybe suitably welded thereto as in the instance of the divider member. The plate 23 extends rearwardly at an upwardly inclined angle and has support on the rest II to effect gravitational feed of sheets against the plate portion 22, as later described.

The frame just described is of a length to be received between the end members 5 and 1 of the platen carriage and extends into the space between the platen and paper rest III, as shown in Fig. 3.. The frame is supported on brackets 23 having attaching portions 23 fixed to the outer faces of the end plates l1 and I3 by suitable The brackets also have flexible portions 3| extending downwardly in spaced relation with the outer faces of the side plates and terminate in laterally extending foot portions 32 seated upon the end members of the carriage frame, as shown in Fig. 1, and attached thereto by fastening devices, such as screws 33.

The plate portions 2| and 22 are so positioned relatively to each other that the plate 22 inclines slightly forwardly and the plate portion 2| is substantially parallel with a diametrical plane passing through the axis of the platen, the rear plate portion 22 forming an abutment for a stack of sheets 34 and the front plate a similar abutment for the typewritten sheets 35 as they are delivered from the machine.

Journalled in suitable bearings 36 and 31, which are carried by the end plates l1 and I3 at a point intermediate the lower edges of the plates 2| and 22, is a shaft 33 carrying a feed roller 33. The feed roller 33 is formed of substantially soft, resilient material and is of a diameter to provide clearance between the platen, the paper rest [3, and the forward edge 26 of the bottom plate 20. The feed roller 33 has a plurality of spaced circumferential grooves 43 to provide intermediate sheet contact faces 4|.

Fixed to the end plates are brackets 42 having depending arms 43 for iournalling the trunnions 44 of a stripper plate 45. The stripper plate 45 closes the throat-like opening 21 and has a bevelled upper face 46 terminating in a relatively thin edge 41 contacting the circumferential faces 4| of the feed roller 33. The plate is normally retained in yielding contact with the feed roller by springs 43 having ends hooked in suitable openings in the lower edge of the plate portion 22 and the opposite ends in suitable openings at the forward edge of the stripper plate 45, as shown in Figs. 3 and 6. Connected with one end of the stripper plate, by a pin 43, is a lever 53 extending upwardly alongside the outer face of one of the end plates and terminating in a laterally extending ear 5|. The lever 53 is further supported by a lug 52 thereon engaging in an L-shaped slot 53 of the end plate 11, the slot being arranged so that the longer portio 54 thereof extends substantially parallel with the arm and the lateral, shorter portion in a downward direction so that when the lever is pushed downwardly to engage the lug 52 in the portion 55 of the slot, the stripper plate will be retained in retracted position relatively to the feed roller to provide a free space 55 therebetween (see Fig, 6). The lever is readily released from latching engagement by raising the ear end thereof so that the lug 52 passes out of the portion 55 of the slot, whereupon the action of the springs 43 returns the stripper plate 45 into feeding relation with the feed roller.

In order to support the stack of sheets in a fixed location relatively to the length of the platen 4, the sheet retaining pocket formed between the plate 22 and bottom plate 25 is provided with adjustable gauge plates 51 and 53. shaped to fit within the angle of the pocket and provided with foot flanges 53 slidably engaging the upper face of the bottom plate. The front edges 53 of the gauge plates engage the rear face of the plate 22, and the upper portions thereof carry laterally extending fingers 3| having bearing contact therewith. The fingers preferably extend above the upper edges of the end plates and curve outwardly over the ridge 23 to guide and stabilize the movement of the gauge plates along the pocket. In order to additionally guide the plates, the foot flanges 53 have lugs 62 and 63 engaging in slots 54 formed along the rear edge of the bottom plate 23, as best shown in Fig. 7. Carried by the foot flanges are threaded studs 65 which project through the slots 54 to accommodate thumb nuts 65 thereon. The nuts 65, when tightened, secure the foot flanges in clamping relation with the bottom plate to retain the gauge plates 51 and 53 in selected position, whereby the spacing therebetween may be made to conform to the width of the sheets used in the machine.

The feeding apparatus also includes a follow-up bar61, having its ends slidable in guide slots 53 that are formed in the edges of the gauges and extend in substantially parallel relation with the bottom plate portion 23. The bar 51 carries upwardly extending fingers 63 which are slidably positioned therealong to engage the rearmost sheet in the stack, as best shown in Fig. 3. Fixed to the ends of the follow-up bar, adjacent the side plates of the frame. are rack bars 13 and 1|, having downwardly facing teeth 12 meshing with pinion gears 13. The rack bars are retained in engagement with the gears by rollers or studs 14 engaging the upper faces of the bars as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. The pinions 13 are carried on a shaft 15 having its ends joumalled in the end plates of the frame. The shaft 15 is rotated to reciprocate the rack bars by a crank 15 having a hub portion 11 fixed to the shaft. The hub portion of the crank is preferably counterbored to form a housing for a coil spring 13, having one tion of a stack of sheets 34. Upon release of the crank, the spring unwinds to return the fingers into pressing engagement with the rearmost sheet in the stack so that the sheets are kept in feeding relation with the feed roller. Attention is directed to thefact that the feed roller 33 frictionally engages the foremost sheet in the stack 34 directly above the stripper plate 45, so that when the feed roller is rotated the foremost sheet is fed downwardly across the paper rest Ill between the pressing rollers |2-l3, and around the platen roller.

In order to actuate the feed roller 33 in synchronism with movement of the platen roller, the shaft of the platen roller carries a spur gear 13 provide the platen fixed thereto and which meshes with an that is rotatably mounted on the endplate oi'theframe,asshowninl'ig.4,theidlegearin turnmeshingwithagcarli fixed ing end of the feed roller shaft obvious that when the platen is knob I, the foremost sheet in the stack is fed therefrom and around the platen roller 4 writing position, the stripper plate'll yielding to allow passage of the sheet.

an actuating lever, or by predetermined which mounted the right-hand knob (the knob 02 that isspaced therefrom to any.

being removed to permit application of the pinion gear as above mentioned). The wheel 00 is of slightly larger diameter than the gear 00 and has a plurality of spaced apertures 00 formed in the periphery thereof and registering with the teeth of the gear 00. Also formed on the plate 08 is a laterally extending flange 00 forming a shroud arranged to cover a portion of the gear teeth. The flange so is so positioned that its forward end ll is spaced from the spaced apertures 09,

and its opposite end carries a lug or stop 92 adapted to be engaged by the lever arm 84.

The lever arm carries a pawl 03 having a tooth adapted to engage the teeth of the gear 05. The lever is normally retained in retracted position by a spring 82, with the lever resting against the .lug 92 and the pawl 93 upon the forward end of the shroud flange, whereby the pawl is supported out of engagement with the teeth. In order to anchor the plate and retain it in a fixed adjusted position, the arm 83 of the bracket 02 carries a spring latch 95, having a pin 00 projecting through an opening 01 in the arm and into one of the apertures 00 in the wheel provided with a knob 01' to facilitate actuation thereof.

Extending across the carriage, in front of the plate portion 2I, is a bar 90 carrying a plurality of upwardly extending fingers 09 to guide typewritten sheets for support upon the flange 2 and in stacked relation against the plate portion 2|, as shown in Fig. 3.

In one form of typewriter, it is necessary to roller with a sheet guide plate I00, having a plate portion IOI pressing on the platen and having depending leg portions I02 and I 03 pivotally carried by brackets I00 and I0! attached to the bar I4, previously described. The guide plate is normally retained in contact with the roller by springs I00 having one end fixed to an arm and the other end to plus I0'I carried by the brackets Ill and I00. The leg portions I02 and I03 of the plate have laterally extending ears I08 pivoted in V-shaped slots I00formed in forwardly projecting ears IIO of the brackets.

85, the arm being.

holdtemporariiy-thebar fromreturnmovement. mlltch I" ispivotedonaatud Him-bale the right-hand platen,

ear Illextends thruughanarcuateslot Illinthe'.

ear normally rides upon the adiacentrackbar'l l,butdrops upper face of the behind the follow up bar when the bar has been 3 furthermost position. The ear is moved to its lifted from engagement with the bar to permit return movement thereof under action of the spring by a pin-like handle III extending from the latch III, as shown In Fig. 1.

In attaching the feeding apparatus, openings are drilled in the end members of the side frames to receive the fastening device 22 and the fastening devices which secure the ends of the bar 00. Suitable openings are also provided for securing the bracket 02 to'the right-hand end member. The right-hand knob is removed from the platen shaft and the gear 00 is applied thereon. The bracket 02, carrying the platen operating mechanism, is then applied with the gear 00 meshing with the pinion gear 00-. The frame of the feeding apparatus is then applied to the end rails with the foot portions 22 resting thereon, after which the screws 22 are applied. The flexible portions II of the brackets allow for any slight miscalculations in drilling the openings for the fastening devices 22, or slight variations in width of the platen frame. The bar 08 is then secured in position. On some typewriters it is necessary to apply 'a guide plate I00 to the crossdirected thereby bar I! so as to direct the printed sheets in the pace lbetween the fingers as and the plate portion 2 The feeding apparatus is now ready for use. The crank I0 is rotated in a clockwise direction, or the knob III on one of the rack bars may be grasped to draw the follow-up carriage to retractive position. This movement winds up the spring I0. When the follow-up bar has moved past the look-out latch I I I, the ear thereon drops behind the bar to retain the follow-up carriage in a retracted position. The thumb nuts 66 are then loosened so that the gauge plates may be adjusted within the pocket plate portion 22 and bottom plate portion 20 according to the width of the blanks to be used and to position the stack in a desired relationrelatlvely to the platen roll. After adjustment of the gauge plates, the thumb nuts are retightened. A stack of blanks having been inserted in the pocket or magazine, the lock-out latch is lifted so that the spring I0 returns the follow-up carriage into pressing contact with the stack of sheets, as shown in Fig. 3. In this position the lower face portion of the foremost sheet in the stack is contacting the faces II of the feed roller, and the lower edges of the foremost sheets in the stack are supported upon The operating lever 84 is then pulled in a forward direction so that the tooth of the pawl 93 engages the teeth of the gear wheel 85 and causes rotative movement thereof to effect rotation of the platen through meshing engagement of the pinion 00. Rotation of the platen rotates the feed roller through the gears 19, and 8| so that frictional engagement of the feed roller with the foremost sheet will effect downward feed thereof, the stripper plate yielding sufli ciently to allow passage of the sheet. As soon as the sheet engages the paper rest it willbe between the platen and pressure rolls I2 and I2. If the stroke of the operating lever is not suilicient to move the sheet the reformed between the the stripper plate 45. v

quired distance, the lever may be released so that it is returned to its original position by the spring '94. On return movement, the pawl rides idly over the teeth of the gear. The lever may then he pulled forwardly the second time to continue.

' shorter stroke of the operating lever is necessary,

the spring latch will be released and the operating lever swung forwardly, the adjusting wheel also being moved to retain thstop 92 thereon in engagement with the lever. and with the pawl ply of sheets in said magazine, foot flanges on said gaugeplates for slidably engaging the bottom plate portion, means 'on said gauge plates resting upon the shroud flange 90, until the number of teeth are exposed to give desired stroke of the operating lever, whereupon the spring latch will be released so that the pin 96 thereon. w ll enter the registering aperture of the adjustment wheel. With this arrangement the sheet is advanced the correct amount each time so that the sheet is positioned relatively to the type. After writing the desired entries in the manner of an ordinary typewriter, the sheet is automat cally removed and the next sheet ad-* vanced by actuating the operating lever. As soon. as the trailing edge of the sheet clears the feed roller, the next sheet is in contact with the feed roller so that it is, fed intotypewriting position, as previously described. The typewritten sheet, being moved by the platen upwardly under the fingers 99, falls in supporting position on the flange 24, as shown at 35 in Fig. 3.

It is thus apparent that the feeding apparatus is adapted to be installed on a typewriter, tabulating, or similar machine, with a minimum change in the parts, and that the apparatus is well adapted for fast, accurate work on the part of the operator.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A sheet feeding mechanism including, a frame adapted for support upon a machine of the character described, said frame having a bottom plate portion and downwardly diverging plate portions, one of said plate portions cooperating with the bottom plate portion to form a magazine for supporting a supply of sheets, said magazine having a throat-like outlet between said plate portions, an outwardly extending flange on the other diverging plate portion to form a support for typewritten sheets, a feed roller rotatably carried by the frame intermediate said diverging plate portions, a stripper plate closing said throat-like outlet and having yielding contact with said roller, means for actuating said roller for removing sheets from the magazine for delivery to the support for typewritten sheets, gauge plates slidably supported in said frame to engage sides of the supply of sheets in said magazine,

and means for retaining said gauge plates in adjusted position.

2. A sheet feeding mechanism including, a frame adapted for support upon a machine of I the character described, said frame having a bottom plate portion and interconnected downwardly diverging plate portions, one of said plate portions cooperating with the bottom plate portion to form a magazine for supporting a supply of sheets, saidmagazine having a throat-like outlet between said plate portions, gauge plates supported in said frame to engage sides of the supslidably engaging the interconnection of said diverging plate portions, guide means on the. gauge cooperating with the bottom plate portion to form a magazine having a throat-like outlet between said plate portions, gauge plates slidably supported in said magazine, means for retaining said gauge plates in adjusted position, and a followup carriage supported by the gauge plates.

4. A sheet feeding mechanism including, a frame adapted for support upon a machine of the character described and having cooperating plate portions to form a magazine having a throat-like outlet between said plate portions, a feed roller rotatably carried in the throat-like outlet, a stripper plate cooperating with the feed roller for closing said throat-like outlet and having yielding contact with said roller, means for actuating said roller, gauge plates slidably supported in said frame, means for retaining said gauge plates in a selected position, said gauge plates having slots, at follow-up bar slidable in said slots, stack pressing members on the followup bar, and means yieldingly urging the follow-up bar in the direction of said feed roller.

5. A sheet feeding mechanism including. a frame forming a magazine having an outlet, a feed roller rotatably carried in said outlet by the frame, a stripper plate cooperating with the feed roller for closing said outlet and having yielding contact with said roller, means for actuating said roller, gauge plates slidably supported in said magazine to engage sides of the supply of sheets in said magazine, means for retaining said gauge plates in adjusted position, and means in said magazine supported by said gauge plates for urging the sheets in the, direction of said feed roller.

6-. A sheet feeding mechanism including, a

frame adapted for support upon a machine of the character described and having a magazine provided with a throat-like outlet, 9. feed roller rotatably carried in said outlet, a stripper plate cooperating with the feed roller to close said throat-like outlet and having yielding contact with said roller,means for actuating said roller,

gauge plates slidably supported in said frame,

'7. A sheet feeding mechanism including, a magazine, gauge plates slidably supported in said magazine to engage sides of the supply of sheets in said magazine, means for retaining said gauge plates in adiusted position, said gauge plates having slots, a follow-up bar slidable in said slots, stack pressing members on the follow-up bar,

I toothed racks connected with ends of the followup bar, a shaft Journalled in the frame, pinions flange on the other of said diverging plate portions to form a bottom for the other compartment, and means for delivering sheets from one compartment to the other.

9. In a sheet "feeding mechanism, a frame adapted for support upon a machine of the character described, said frame having a bottom plate portion and downwardly divergin plate portions, one of said diverging plate portions cooperating with the bottom plate portion to form a support for a supply of sheets, an outwardly extending flange on the other diverging plate portion to form a support for typewritten sheets, a feed roller rotatably carried by the frame intermedi- -ate said diverging plate portions and having ensheet support.

gagement with one of the supply of sheets, a stripper plate having yielding contact with said roller and adapted to yield for the passage of one sheet, means for moving the stripper plate into inoperative position, means for locking said plate in inoperative position, and means for actuating said roller.

10. A sheet feeding mechanism including, a frame adapted for support upon a machine of the character described, said frame having a bottom plate portion and downwardly diverging plate portions, one of said plate portions cooperating with the bottom plate portion to form a support for holding a supply of sheets, an outwardly extending flange on the bottom of the other diverging plate portion for supporting typewritten sheets in substantially vertical position, a feed roller rotatably carried by the frame intermediate said diverging plate portion and having engagement with the lower edge of one of the supply of sheets, a stripper plate having yieldingcontact with said roller adapted for automatic adjustment of its position relative to the roller to pass one'sheet therebetween, and means for actuating said roller to withdraw a sheet from the sheet supply for delivery to the typewritten ROY FRANK HALL. 

